Dynamo waste chance to gain ground with loss to Union

Updated 7:45 am, Monday, September 24, 2012

Players in the Dynamo's wall thwart a free kick by the Union's Carlos Valdes.

Players in the Dynamo's wall thwart a free kick by the Union's Carlos Valdes.

Photo: Chris Gardner

Dynamo waste chance to gain ground with loss to Union

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CHESTER, Pa. - Here's the thing about those so-called "games in hand" teams have when they're chasing or trying to hold off someone in the standings.

They're of no value if you don't take advantage of them.

That's what will haunt the Dynamo on their flight home Monday and, depending on how things play out over the next few weeks in the crowded MLS East playoff picture, perhaps over the winter.

Facing a Philadelphia Union team that hadn't won in nearly two months and has had trouble scoring all season, the Dynamo fizzled Sunday, dropping a 3-1 decision that infuriated coach Dominic Kinnear.

Kinnear tore into his team afterward, delivering an expletive-laced tirade that could be heard down the hall at PPL Park. No doubt he was incensed by the Dynamo's listless play and lack of fire, which was unacceptable in the critical match.

After calming, Kinnear tried to make sense of what happened.

"Our emotion was OK," Kinnear said after Philadelphia took command of a 1-1 game at the half on a penalty kick by Freddy Adu in the 50th minute, followed by a Josue Martinez tap-in 20 minutes later. "We need better than OK.

More Information

Dynamo update

Sunday: Union 3, Dynamo 1.

Record: 12-8-10.

Saturday: New England at BBVA Compass Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

TV/radio: KPRC; 790 AM and 850 AM (Spanish).

"We had a good talk at halftime. The penalty was a bit of a blow. It knocked us back a bit. But it wasn't about us overlooking them. We missed an opportunity to raise ourselves in the standings today."

That seemed the universal theme among his players, who will have a say in their fate with three of their remaining four games - all against lower-level clubs - at home down the stretch. But they know they'll need a better approach.

"This is a game we looked at where we need three points,'' said goalkeeper Tally Hall, who was under siege from the outset, with Adu, once considered a 14-year-old American prodigy, scoring in the 28th minute, followed by his penalty kick. "To come out of here with zero in a tight playoff race, there's no excuse. If you want to be a championship team, you've got to beat that team."

Union solidarity

And you've got to put more grit and energy into your effort than the Dynamo did. Rather than take charge against a Philadelphia team buried in the standings and essentially playing out the string, the Dynamo let the Union take the game to them.

It proved to be a mistake as Philadelphia shrugged off Boriek Garcia's equalizer late in the first half to dominate the rest of the way.

"I really thought we were ready to go before the game," said Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis. "I can't really explain what went wrong besides a little bit of attitude. You have to have the willingness inside. Not every game is going to be pretty. If it's not pretty, you have to be willing to do the dirty work. It hurts right now. Nobody's happy. But we didn't play up to par today, and at this time of the year, that's unacceptable."

They'll attempt to rebound against a New England team lower in the standings than the Union.

Three cautions

"With four games to go, we're still in the mix,'' said Davis, who received one of three yellow cards given to the Dynamo. "I figure this week is pretty guaranteed to be an intense week of training."

But after squandering that game in hand with a golden opportunity to help themselves, one thing has become apparent about the Dynamo.